The 14 Best Vegetarian Cookbooks That Even Meat Eaters Will Love

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Many people today are trying to eat less meat or cut it out completely. Whether for health reasons, ethics, finances, or caring for the planet, more and more people are turning to plant-based meals and vegetarian cooking. The rise in plant-based recipes, convenience foods, and trends like Meatless Mondays show that there's a growing interest in vegetarian cooking. While vegetarians know how broad, diverse, and satisfying vegetarian food can be, and for the most part may not even think about meat, meat eaters sometimes need a little more convincing.

Luckily, many amazing cookbooks and food writers are out there championing vegetarian food and vegetable-forward cooking. The books on this list are just some of our favorites to have on hand and refer to whether we need help with the basics of cooking and preparing vegetables, or looking for flavors and recipes that excite our tastebuds and inspire us to try something different. Whether you're looking to learn how to incorporate more vegetables into your meals or you want to learn how to replace meat in creative and delicious ways, these cookbooks have everything you're looking for and more. Some may even have you not look back.

Vegetarian pioneer Hetty Lui McKinnon will have you cooking vegetables in unexpected ways in "Tenderheart: A Cookbook About Vegetables and Unbreakable Family Bonds." See vegetables in ways you've never thought of before, with McKinnon's imaginative uses of various vegetables. She'll have you sneaking them into your meals in surprising ways to ramp up flavor, like adding eggplant to brownies, or seaweed to a brown butter pasta.

While McKinnon has built a career on plant-based cookbooks, this cookbook is written as an homage to her late father, who worked at a produce market. In her newsletter, she describes him as a banana monger, who always came home with crates of fresh fruits and vegetables. While there's a beautiful theme of healing and grief in the cookbook, at the heart of it, it's all about the celebration and joy of seasonal produce that her father instilled in her. Each chapter is dedicated to a vegetable, demonstrating how one vegetable can be prepared and enjoyed in multiple ways. Through the recipes, you'll learn a deeper appreciation for vegetables, and build expertise in how to make them sing.

"How to Cook Everything Vegetarian" by food journalist Mark Bittman has been an extensive guide to cooking vegetarian meals since it hit shelves about ten years ago. Looking back, Bittman admits to NPR that he may have fallen into the trap that vegetarian cooks sometimes do, by having relied too heavily on cheese and eggs. Now, in this revised Tenth Anniversary edition, Bittman focuses more on dairy-free choices, with an exciting chapter based solely on beverages like smoothies, juices, shakes, coffees, and teas.

Beverages often get forgotten in cookbooks, even though many people drink their fruit and vegetables, relying on a smoothie as a breakfast or mid-day pick-me-up. Bittman offers a dynamic range of tasty beverage recipes, whether it's a refreshing cucumber and ginger seltzer, a protein-packed smoothie, how to use juice in cooking, or the basics of how to brew coffee and iced tea. This chapter is extensive and has all your drink needs covered.

If you thought that you couldn't enjoy traditional soul food recipes without meat, think again. Alexia Wilkinson's "Vegetarian Soul Food Cookbook: 75 Classic Recipes to Satisfy Your Cravings" is the proof. While more people might be eating vegetarian, partially vegetarian lifestyles, or generally looking to eat less meat for whatever reasons, Wilkinson writes that soul food and other traditional Southern recipes are not incompatible with that, as some may think. In fact, many traditions are based on the celebration of vegetables.

This cookbook has got everything from traditional vegetarian soul food recipes and vegetarian ways to make your meaty favorites like flavor-packed meatless barbecue sliders to gumbo, and even "meatloaf". Wilkinson's first gained popularity on her YouTube channel as Just Lexx, where she shared her love for vegetarian Southern cuisine. Her cookbook explains the history of soul food, the nuances and differences between Southern Food and soul food, and the traditions and meanings behind it. At its heart, this book is based on the love of community and the comfort of delicious and nutritious food.

Mexican food is as diverse and complex as it comes, and there are so many naturally vegetarian recipes that exist that author Margarita Carrillo Arronte wanted to showcase. Considering that she isn't a vegetarian herself, she spent years diving into the history of Mexican cuisine discovering a vast plant-based heritage. In "The Mexican Vegetarian Cookbook," there are no meat, dairy, or gluten substitutes — just recipes that don't include these to begin with but exist because of how delicious they are.

Arronte wants to change the misguided thinking that Mexican food revolves around meat when this hasn't been the case historically. In fact, she argues that the further you go back in history, the more vegetarian the cuisine is. The recipes in this book feature a lot of the traditional like mole sauce, salsas, adobos (marinades), and some with a twist, like vegetarian ceviche, and watermelon and tequila jicama salad. Cook in a way that celebrates the unique techniques and vegetable-centered foods that showcase the beauty and diversity of Mexican cuisine.

Jamie Oliver's first all-vegetarian cookbook doesn't diverge from Oliver's overall philosophy of making cooking accessible to everyone, no matter what level of skill. Combining this with his passion for getting people to eat more nutritious meals, it was an obvious next step to make a vegetarian cookbook, given all the benefits of plant-based eating. However, he doesn't want health to be at the forefront of "Ultimate Veg: Easy & Delicious Meals for Everyone," because this book is all about flavor. Oliver wants you to love the taste of these vegetarian dishes, above all else.

Oliver looks to all corners of the world for ways to maximize flavor in his recipes. From harissa, tahini, and miso to beer, he amplifies vegetables in exciting ways and doesn't rely on old-fashioned tricks like covering everything in cheese, or cream, or relying heavily on meat substitutes. This book is full of tantalizing recipes aimed at people who want to make that step of eating vegetarian as a lifestyle, or just to cook more vegetarian meals but aren't sure how to.

Chef, activist, and humanitarian Jose Andres is on a mission to get everyone to eat more vegetables and to change how we think about them. With a contribution from food journalist Matt Goulding, this book is more than a cookbook — it's a dazzling masterpiece that can stimulate and inspire even the most anti-vegetable eater. Along with all the diverse ways to cook vegetables — including grilling, frying, roasting, and marinating — "Vegetables Unleashed: A Cookbook"  is also filled with interesting and thought-provoking writing about tackling food waste and food policies that will challenge you while you cook up a storm. While Andres is not a vegetarian, his philosophy is based on the benefits of eating more vegetables, for the health of both people and the planet.

Andres' rebellious nature is palpable through the recipes, and with his tips, you could make some of the magical dishes he's become famous for at his award-winning restaurants, like his vibrant gazpachos that pay homage to his Spanish roots, or the Beefsteak towering tomato burger that totally changes how we view vegan burger patties.

The Mediterranean diet has been praised for its health benefits for years, and this book takes you on a journey of the vibrant cuisines around this region, from the West to the East, with a focus on the abundant vegetarian dishes that exist. Including recipes from Spain, France, Syria, Egypt, Greece, Morocco, and more, there's so much to learn about all the ways this sea connects people through food and ingredients.

Although each country's cuisine is unique and diverse (including from region to region, or even village to village), Sanaa Abourezk has identified the key ingredients that are shared by all in "Vegetarian Mediterranean Cookbook: 125+ Simple, Healthy Recipes for Living Well". A love for olive oil, onion, garlic, herbs, cheese, and grains, is the foundation for most Mediterranean cooking, and understanding this goes a long way in learning how to build flavorful meals.

Beyond the recipes, this book also teaches the philosophies and culture of eating in the Mediterranean, which enhance the benefits of the food, like the idea of slowing down and sharing meals with friends and family, eating seasonal produce, and eating lunch as a main meal, and a lighter dinner. All in the hopes of being able to enjoy food and life more, and hopefully, improved health.